Auxiliary lock for safes, vaults, &amp;c.



A. S. AILES.

AUXILIARY LOCK FOR SAFES, VAULTS, Gac.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1920.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A. S. AILES.

AUXILIARY LOCK FOR SAFES,'VAULTS, &c. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21. Iszo.

1,397,999, Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADRIAN S. AILES, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, SSIGNOR OF SIXTY PER CENT. TO JOI-IN H. TAFT, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUXILIAR-Y LOCK FOR SAFES, VAULT'S, 86C.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

Application filed March 27, 1920. Serial No. 369,339.

T 0 all lwhom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ADRIAN S. AILES, a citizen of the United States, residing` at Chicago, in the county of Cool; and State ot Illinois, have invented a new and useful Iniprovenient in Auxiliary Locks for Safes, Vaults, &c., otl which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates particularly to auxiliary locking devices for use in connection with the ordinary locking mechanism of safes and vaults.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary lock of the improved construction and arrangement, which will provide greater safeguards than auxiliary locks heretofore known.

The invention is illustrated, in its preferred embodiment, in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l represents a section in the wall of Ya safe having a door equipped with the usual locking mechanism and equipped also with the im"roved auxiliary locking mechanism, the view showing the inner side of the safe door; Fig. 2, a broken plan sectional view showing one of the auxiliary locks employed; Fig. 3, a vertical sectional view taken as indicated at line I3 of Fig. 2; Fig, et, a broken sectional view taken indicated at line et of Fig. 3; Fig. a broken sectional view taken as indicated at line of Fig. and Fig. 6, a perspective view ot' a catch, or retainer, adapted to hold the dog, or catch, of the auxiliary locking device in retracted position after the bolt of the auxiliary7 loching device has been released from said dog and permitted to lock the safe.

In the illustration given, represents the wall 'of a safe or vault.; B, the door thereof; B', the ordinary locking mechanism of the safe; C and C', auxiliary locking devices which are normally inoperative; and C2, a system of flexible connections connecting the auxiliary locking devices with the door B and serving to release the bolts of the auxiliary locking devices in the event that the main locking mechanism is tampered with.

The main locking mechanism B comrises, in the illustration given, the horizontal bolts l which are connected with a vertical bar 2; and vertical bolts 3 operated by bell-crank levers et connected with the horizontal bolts. The bar 2 is adapted to be actuated by a horizontal bar 5 which is actuated from the combination box B2 in the usual manner.

In the illust 'ation given, each of the auxiliary locking devices C and C comprises a tubular bolt-housing 6 having an open outer or front end screwed into a threaded perforation G in a flange 7 with which the door is provided near the margin of its inner side; a bolt o provided near its rear end with a recess Se; a bolt-actuating spring 9 confined between the rear end of the bolt 8 and the closed rear end of the tubular member G; a collar, or block, l0, secured on the bolt-housing G, as by means of screws ltf; a dctent, catch, or dog, 1l, mounted in a. guide with which the collar l() is provided and serving normally to hold the bolt 8 in retracted position; and a spring-actuated catch, or retainer, l2, adapted to hold the dog ll in retracted position after it has been withdrawn 'troni engagement with the bolt 8.

The dog, or detent, l1, is shown' as comprising a small bolt disposed radially with respect to the main or locking bolt 8 of the auxiliary device, the inner end of the member ll extending through a perforation 12 in the member l2 and through a perforation in one side of the tubular member 6 and engaging the recess Sa' (shown as annular) of said bolt.

The bolt S, when projected, is adapted to engage a recess in the wall A. In the illustration given in Fig. 2, this recess is disposed baclt of the liange 13; and the dotted lines S indicate the position of the bolt in the projected position. The collar l0 is provided, as shown in Fig. 5, with a perforation 1l which receives the tubular member 6; and the member l2, which is in the form of a thin strip, works between the tubular member G and the bore ll in a longitudinal guide l5. In setting the device, the dog ll is retracted against the force of the small spring 1G with which it is equipped, and the member l2 is retracted by a spring l2 which is attached to the member 12 and to the tubular member 6. Thus, the inner end of the dog ll will rest against the strip l2. The bolt S may then be forced in to compress the spring 9, after which the member l2 may be pushed inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3, thus permitting the dog ll to pass through the perforation l2 and through the hole in the wall of the member 6 and into engagement with the annular recess 8 of the bolt 8.

Provision may be made for more securely anchoring or steadying the tubular member 6, as illustrated in Figs. r2, V8, and 4. The means shown comprise a short bar, or cradle, 17, which is recessed at 17a to engage the member 6. This bar is interposed between the member 6 and the door B.. and is equipped near its ends with set-screws 18 which bear against the inner surface of the door. By adjusting these screws, the members 17 may be suitably positioned to afford a rest for the member 6, this being accomplished without the necessity of drilling holes in the door. 4

The system of the flexible connections C2, in the illustration given, may be described as follows:

Thefdog, or radial plunger 11, of each auxiliary locking device is equipped with a ring 19. Une of the auxiliary locking devices set above and the other below the combination box B2. From each ring 19 extends a flexible connection, or steel wire, 20, which passes over a roller 21, through a guide 22, across the combination box, and is anchored to the door at the point 23. Also, connected to each ring 19 is a wire, or flexible member, 24, which passes through the pulley 21 and thence over a pulley 25 and connects with a spring 26 which is anchored to the door, as at' 2.7. The springs 26 are normally held distended by wires, or flexible connections, 28 which are attached to the springs and pass about the pulleys 25, thence through guides 29 and then are connected with a rod, or turnbuckle, 30, disposed back of the combination box B2, the turnbuckle 8O having connected therewith a wire 31 which is anchored to the door, as at 82. The wires 28 may be a single wire passing over the pulleys 25,- through the guides 29, and through an eye 88 at one end of the turnbuckle. The wires 28 are put under strong tension by means of the turnbuckle, and

normally hold the `springs 26 against inaction, leaving the connections 24C slack.

If the combination be forced, as by means of nitro-glycerin, the combination box B2 will be forced inwardly and will exert tension on the wires 20, thus retracting the dogs, or radial plungers, 11, and permitting the springs 9 to force the bolts 8 of the auxiliary locking devices into engagement with the wall of the safe. If, on the other hand, a hole be cut in the door, as by means `of an Oxy-acetylene flame, this will result in cutting the wires 28 which anchor the springs 26 normallyagainst action, and this will permit the springs 26 to operate through the connections 24 to withdraw the dogs 11, thus permitting the auxiliary locking devices to automatically lock the door.

In practice, the auxiliary locking devices are placed at various points on doors of different banking institutions, and the system is then covered by sheet-metal, so that the positions of the various parts are hidden. The manufacturer who installs the auxiliary locking devices, however, retains a diagram, or measurements, locating the auxiliary locking devices. Hence, the manufacturer who installs the devices is in position to send an expert to open the door in case of necessity. This may be done by drilling a small hole at the appropriate point, inserting an instrument, and shoving the auxiliary locking bolt back. To enable this to be done, it is important that the dogs 11 shall not again spring into position to prevent the retraction of the bolts 8. The desired object is accomplished'by means of the spring-actuated retaining members 12, which are retracted and close the perforations in the walls of the bolt-housing 6. This feature is also of advantage in preventing the inner ends of the dogs from interfering with the springs and in facilitating the work of inserting the bolts 8 during the installation.

The device described, which serves to normally restrain the auxiliary bolt 8, is desirablefor the reason that there is no danger of an improper assembly being effected in making' the installation, H and for `tate the work of installation.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitation should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

What I'regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination, a safe provided with a door having a main locking mechanism, a normally inactive auxiliary locking device mounted on the door and arranged to lock the same closed independentlyof the main locking mechanism, a liexible connectionV controlling' the auxiliary locking device and extending across the main locking mechanism and Vadapted to release 'the auxiliary lock when force is exerted upon said fiexible strained spring-pressed member adapted to operate When the main locking mechanism is tampered With, and means controlling the release of said spring-pressed member, comprising a normally taut flexible member controlling the release of said spring-pressed member' and extending across the main locking mechanism and anchored, a normally inactive spring adapted to effect release of said spring-pressed member, and a flexible member normally restraining said spring from operation and associated with the main locking mechanism, whereby saidfirstnamed flexible connection will operate to release said spring-pressed member in case the main locking mechanism is moved abnormally and said second-named flexible connection Will, when released or severed, permit said spring to effect release of said spring-pressed member.

3. In means of the character set forth, the combination with a door equipped with main locking mechanism, of auxiliary locking means comprising' an auxiliary locking bolt, a spring tending to force said bolt to the locking position, a dog controlling said bolt, a spring adapted to effect release of said dog, and fiexible connections associated with the main locking mechanism and including a connection adapted to release said dog when the main locking mechanism is moved abnormally and a connection which normally restrains said second-named spring from action and which, when itself released, permits said spring to retract said dog to allow said bolt to be projected.

et. In means of the character set forth, the combination with a door equipped with main locking mechanism, of auxiliary locking means comprising a tubular bolt-housing mounted on the door, a spring-pressed bolt in said housing, a member mounted on said housing, a spring-pressed dog mounted in said member and adapted to hold said bolt in retracted position, a spring-actuated retainer adapted to hold said dog in retracted position, and means connected with said dog and associated with the main locking mechanism, whereby when the main locking mechanism is tampered with said dog Will be Withdrawn and permit said bolt to be projected.

5. In means of the character set forth, the

combination with a door equipped with main locking mechanism, of auxiliary locking means comprising a tubular bolt-housing mounted on said door, a spring-pressed bolt confined in said housing, a collar mounted on said tubular housing, a radial plunger mounted in said collar in a plane substantially at right angles to said tubular housing and adapted to hold said bolt in retracted position, and a flexible connection attached to said radial plunger and associated with the main locking mechanism, whereby the plunger Will be retracted when the main locking mechanism is tampered with, thus permitting said bolt to be projected.

6. In means of the character set forth, the combination with a door equipped with main locking mechanism, of auxiliary locking means comprising a tubular bolt-housing mounted on said door, a springpressed bolt confined in said housing, a collar mounted on said tubular housing, a radial plunger mounted in said collar and adapted to hold said bolt in retracted position, a spring-actuated retainer adapted to hold said radial plunger in retracted position after the locking bolt has been projected, and a flexible connection attached to said plunger and associated with the main locking mechanism, whereby said plunger will be retracted When the main locking mechanism is tampered With.

7. In means of the character set forth, the combination With a door equipped With main locking mechanism, of auxiliary locking means comprising a tubular bolt-housing mounted on said door, a spring-pressed bolt confined in said housing, a collar mounted on said tubular housing, a radial plunger mounted in said collar adapted to hold said bolt in retracted position, means for retracting said radial plunger to permit said bolt to be projected, comprising a flexible connection adapted to be Withdrawn by abnormal movement of the main locking mechanism, a normally inactive spring adapted to retract said radial plunger, and a flexible connection normally restraining said spring from action and adapted, when itself released, to release said spring and permit it to retract said radial plunger.

ADRIAN S. AILES. 

